Video: Andy Carroll v. Swansea City

By: Noel | November 9th, 2011

The end product may not be there yet, with a bad miss in the opening minutes against Swansea highlighting that fact, but in recent weeks Andy Carroll has certainly put in a shift—and looked far more useful for it, especially compared to the opening weeks of the season when he could at times seem indifferent. His performance on Saturday, though, while showing signs of that increasing effort and far from horrible, still wasn’t the sort of outstanding performance we usually have the opportunity to reflect on following a match. However, thanks to frequent commenter Purify_the_body who put together today’s Carroll compilation, this time we have the chance to take another look—something that allows us to appreciate all the things that Carroll did do well against Swansea, as well as highlighting how little choice he was given by his teammates when it came to the role he played.

Immediately striking is how often players try to link up with him, almost always in situations where the striker isn’t tightly marked, only for the passes to go ten feet wide or for Carroll to break in another direction. With the player having been at Liverpool for nearly a year, suggesting that he still needs time to settle with his new teammates might lead to skeptically raised eyebrows. Yet regardless of whether it should be an issue, it seems fairly clear that Carroll and the rest of the squad don’t quite know how to play with each other in tight quarters.

And moving out of those tight quarters in and around the box, it’s obvious that even without Carragher in the lineup they really like to aim for his head. Love it or hate it, at this point one has to assume it’s part of the gameplan. If that is indeed the case, the lack of direct support for his knockdowns has to be a concern. It may only add another item to the growing list of tactical choices that have led to grumbles while the team fails to get results, but one of the most obvious things to take away from a review of Carroll’s day against Swansea is that he’s doing his job—he’s knocking down ball after ball floated to his head in areas where he can’t be expected to register an attempt on goal. The failure is down to either those delivering the ball needing to do a better job judging if their cross is likely to lead to a chance if Carroll does knock it down, or to the players who are supposed to provide support not doing so. Or, if one is in a determinedly negative mood, perhaps it’s simply an approach that’s incompatible with the squad as a whole, no matter how suited Carroll himself might be to it.

Big thanks go out again to Purify_the_body for providing today’s video.

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Category: Match Recaps, Miscellaneous, Premier League

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Purify_the_body

Nice one, Noel! Glad people enjoyed it. Who else do we want to take a look at, Downing? Adam?

Still a lot of time before the next game...
Noel

Well, it's thanks to you for putting it together. As for anything else from Swansea, I'm handing things over the Ed for a bit and by the time I'm back it'll be mostly internationals and preparing for Chelsea, but I'm sure we'll want to take a closer look at somebody's performance after that match.
Suarez from the car park...

Does it look like he slightly mistimes headers, losing power, or is he trying to cushion the ball. Seems to drop short a lot when he heads it.
JPR

Looked to me like he was mistiming headers too. At times slightly mistiming his jump and at times mistiming the forward movement of the head to make ball contact. Also seemed to me that guys off the ball in the box were waiting to see where his header would go instead of moving to a dangerous position in space to make the knockdown easier to complete and result in a dangerous shot. The Swansea defenders were nervously scrambling to get on the end of those second balls. More intelligent off ball movement would make those floated crosses very dangerous.
NotTooXabi

Nice job, PtB. Not too Xabi, if I do say so myself.

Does anyone have confirmation that the ponytail is, in fact, no more?

*I'm curious about a Geordie's haircut. The international break strikes again.*
Redarmy

Yeah, he did allright.
Watch the video and look out for No.14. Mostly walking around and always in the wrong position. I know it's only a sample, but it's like playing with 10 men. Incredible.
Latortillablanca

product of playing a young player week in week out and out of position. dirk kuyt does a great job breaking natural tendencies when shunted out on the right, because he's a veteran and his mental game is so tight. asking hendo to do a kuyt every week is just asking for that kinda trouble...

hendo's up an down (but mostly down) performance on the right should be chalked up to the early mistakes committed by the coaching staff...
redtrev73

Hey Redarmy.....'the fuck, fella? We're just slowly crawling back to the light of positivity re. Big Andy and you open up a can of 'blanca's haterade on Hendo's ass..?! I'm only another day of bleak predictions away from self-harm mate...work with me here!! I'm on the raggedy edge..!!!
Ravenilli

Gez self harm that's not so good. Let's hope tomorrow night's result against Estonia will bring you out of the self harm phase until we go and have a great game against Chelsea in just over a weeks time.
redtrev73

Alrite Ravenilli? Speaking of positivity, Trap has done a super job of draining most of the joy I used to have watching Ireland play, even if we do mostly get the result. What's your take on Robbie strollin' back into the 11? Have to admit I know little of Estonia. Saw 'em against The North and Scotland. I guess if we can't take them we don't deserve to qualify. Have an awful feeling we'll need Shay on form.
Ravenilli

Well when you're referring to the joy of Ireland play I presume you're referring to the days with Mick McCarthy and before as before Trap came in as manager I resented watching Ireland play under the likes of Steve Staunton and Brian Kerr. As you said at least they are getting the results with Trap in charge and have a great chance of reaching the first major championship since 2002. Have to admit Robbie has been a great servant to the countries football and probably still is but I personally think he is past it. From what I have seen of him play he has been very lazy (he loses the ball he sulks and doesn't go back after it), but hopefully he will come out and score a couple come tomorrow to prove me wrong. I would rather see Cox and Walters up front for the first half at least and then bring Robbie on if needed. I don't know anything of Estonia at all but as you say there's always that thing when it comes to playoffs with Ireland that something is going to go wrong and Shay will need to be on form but as a fellow Donegal man I thin Shay is up for it. Haven't seen him play a bad game yet so hopefully tomorrow night will be no exception.
redtrev73

Your countyman is an absolute legend. My favourite player along with the Dunney-monster. Neither of them ever let us down. It's probably too much to expect that we won't need one or the other to put in a man of the match display. Yeah, I was referring to the good old days before Stan and Kerr lessened the expectations...y'know, when we used to qualify for tournaments. It's TEN years since THAT McAteer goal vs Holland and all the Saipan high-jinks it led to.
Ravenilli

Yeah must be something in the Donegal water that produces great keepers as it was big Packie before that. Yeah they usually do produce the goods (Dunne and Shay) and if the team plays as well tomorrow night as they did in that painful night in Paris I think they'll get a good result. Yeah it's been too long a wait since the last major final and too long since I was able to absolutely hammered while watching Ireland in the summer time.
redtrev73

Amen to that Rav!! A day of Arthur's finest lubricating my larynx as I watch Ireland in a Summer tourney?? Magic.... And of course the ladies tend to be in, ahem, 'great spirits' too...which is nice! Giggity, giggity!
Ravenilli

I think the last tournament in Japan with the games being on at about 6:00am helped the spirits of the ladies too when they would stay in the pub from that night before all the way through till the morning along with us and then fall home about 2:00pm that evening. Only thing is everyone would be too tired to do any Giggity Giggity at that stage.
Seanster

Ah the days lads, never been so drunk so early. As for giggity, I'd have done well to find me micky while that tournament was on. I still reckon we'd give a good account of ourselves if we get there, our anti-football seems to work well against the better sides. Not expecting a stroll against Estonia though, not because they're any good, just coz its us.
redtrev73

Ah Seanster, welcome to the Paddy thread!! '02 was a delightfully debauched experience. I seem to remember hitting the pub at 11 ahead of the Germany game and getting a cab home 2 days later with a girl I, ahem...'met' during the celebration of our glorious draw. Long story short - found mickey, 24 hr giggity ensued...I love international tournaments!!
Ravenilli

Drunk so early was great you could get away with anything but not being able to find the micky now that's bad. Lose anything else other than that as even when drunk it comes in handy. We seem to play well with the system they employ must be what being a Stoke fan or a West Brom fan feels like.
Seanster

1990 and 94 was my mickys hayday lads, late teens and early twenties damage was done. Gang of nurses in Sinnott's post Mexico match 94 was the one and only times meself an four buddies sychronised our chi and all left with a nurse under arm. Early kickoff aswell though and we spent the evening consoling the maidens. Unfortunately by 02' we were far more cynical/fat and did our drinking in the local. On the upside Mrs Seanster is very understanding when it comes to footy and I still have a get out of jail free card to meet the lads and get ratsed when there's a Liverpool/Ireland game on so praying for qualification.
Redarmy

re: trev, ravenilli. get to know estonia, check this out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Lis

I'm from Estonia and I can assure you that there won't be anything like this tomorrow. Today we had a clear sky and even the sun was shining!
redtrev73

Hey Lis, all the best for tomorrow. Looking forward to it!
Lis

Thank you, you're being very gracious as an Ireland supporter! I'm also looking forward to it, although I'm not used to this kind of anxiety when it comes to my national team, that's usually reserved for LFC.
Ravenilli

Good luck for tonight and hopefully there will be no cheating from either side in this playoff.
redtrev73

Right, if we can organise not to be playing on snow and against a snowplough we're all set!!
Latortillablanca

nice - tks ptb! i honestly think the be-ponytailed one is on his upward swing. putting that goal in would've done wonders for his confidence, its the type of chance that should be bread an butter, and sooner or later he's gotta be knockin those down. but he's lookin fitter, looks hungry to improve, looks like he realizes what he's gotta be doin for the side. all of that intangible shit is worth sooo much for a team as a whole, in particular when things are goin rough. torres doesnt do any of that shit any more, he wouldn't be doing it if he were still around. quietly confident that he will cause some ruckus for citeh an chelsea....